I’m dealing the best I can, numbing my pain with alcohol and sex of the random variety.

Until Zack literally runs into me on Boathouse Row in Philadelphia and takes matters into his own hands. He intervenes in my life and oThey say time heals all wounds. They lie.

Especially my brother’s best friend, Zack.

Because my brother is dead and that’s a wound that will never heal.

I’m dealing the best I can, numbing my pain with alcohol and sex of the random variety.

Until Zack literally runs into me on Boathouse Row in Philadelphia and takes matters into his own hands. He intervenes in my life and offers a new coping strategy: himself.

His unexpected friendship, brimming with concern and thoughtfulness affects me.

Soon, an attraction I can’t deny erupts into a desire I’m desperate to act on.

But I can’t fall for my brother’s best friend.

Not now.

And definitely not after I learn the truth about Adrian’s death. ***

The College Pact Series (originally published under The Senior Semester Series) has been re-edited and revamped with new content and a fresh look. All books in this series can be read as standalones....more

Community Reviews

I am loving this series! I couldn't wait to read Maura"s story as I knew it would be a good one. She is struggling with her twin brother's death and starts down a dark path to escape the pain. Zach was her brother's best friend and runs into Maura after returning from the summer. He is also struggling with his friend's death. A friendship is formed in their shared grief and also an attraction that neither of them feel they can act on. They find though that together they can heal. Their journey iI am loving this series! I couldn't wait to read Maura"s story as I knew it would be a good one. She is struggling with her twin brother's death and starts down a dark path to escape the pain. Zach was her brother's best friend and runs into Maura after returning from the summer. He is also struggling with his friend's death. A friendship is formed in their shared grief and also an attraction that neither of them feel they can act on. They find though that together they can heal. Their journey isn't easy one but it makes the HEA even sweeter....more

It’s official! This is my favorite book in the College Pact series. I’ve been so excited about reading Maura’s book ever since little hints had been dropped in the first and second books of the series. One of my favorite tropes is brother’s best friend. But this is a different spin on that. Maura and Zack are both grieving the loss of Adrian, Maura’s twin brother. They have that connection, thinking they are friends, not knowing that each of them have “more than friend” feelings toward the otherIt’s official! This is my favorite book in the College Pact series. I’ve been so excited about reading Maura’s book ever since little hints had been dropped in the first and second books of the series. One of my favorite tropes is brother’s best friend. But this is a different spin on that. Maura and Zack are both grieving the loss of Adrian, Maura’s twin brother. They have that connection, thinking they are friends, not knowing that each of them have “more than friend” feelings toward the other. This is about second chances. For Maura to lift herself back up off the ground and turn her life around. And for Zack to overcome the guilt he feels about Adrian’s death. This is about Maura and Zack getting a second chance with each other. Not as Adrian’s twin sister and best friend but as a couple. All around this book has great characters and excellent writing that instantly connects you to these characters. It’s heartbreaking and heartwarming and I highly recommend one clicking this one!

Now I will be the first to admit that young adult/new adult romances are not my usual go to when deciding on what to read. I am a vintage over 40 gal myself and I find it hard to relate to the charachters.

But Ms. Azzi never fails to amaze me with her writing. I was completely immersed in this story. This story of Maura and Zack.

Ms. Azzi creates a world and characters that are so relatable, no matter what thier age is in the story. Yes they are young characters, but they are dealing with issueNow I will be the first to admit that young adult/new adult romances are not my usual go to when deciding on what to read. I am a vintage over 40 gal myself and I find it hard to relate to the charachters.

But Ms. Azzi never fails to amaze me with her writing. I was completely immersed in this story. This story of Maura and Zack.

Ms. Azzi creates a world and characters that are so relatable, no matter what thier age is in the story. Yes they are young characters, but they are dealing with issues that effect all ages. The maturity of her characters is believable, they are young and sometimes make foolish choices and say reckless things, but how they come to grips with the real life issues that they face are done with a maturity that is amazingly honest.

I fell in love hard with both Maura and Zack. Because of their mutual grief, they understand each other better. They become friends in the truest sense. How Maura was dealing with her grief was heartbreaking at first but it was real and honest. How Zack came to grips with his grief and his guilt was just perfect and he never gave up!!

Get your hands on this series, you will not be disappointed! Well done Ms. Azzi!! ...more

This book had me running through a whole slew of emotions: surprise, anger, sadness, confusion, elation, and so many more. Maura and Zack’s story is so much more than your traditional young love story. While the two of them have incredible chemistry and are perfect for each other, they also have the darkness of grief and loss hanging over them always - which adds a complex piece to their story that had reading this book in one sitting. To watch them overcome so much to love again was bittersweetThis book had me running through a whole slew of emotions: surprise, anger, sadness, confusion, elation, and so many more. Maura and Zack’s story is so much more than your traditional young love story. While the two of them have incredible chemistry and are perfect for each other, they also have the darkness of grief and loss hanging over them always - which adds a complex piece to their story that had reading this book in one sitting. To watch them overcome so much to love again was bittersweet and beautiful.

Gina Azzi does such an incredible job of developing the story, developing the characters, and telling such a delicate story. There are twists in there that I didn’t see coming, parts of the story that had me reaching for the tissues, and parts that had me boiling mad. To be able to incorporate so many layers into one book is amazing, and I definitely wasn’t disappointed by this book.

I’ve loved this series so far and can’t wait for the last (revamped) book to be released!...more

Ever since Corner of Ocean and Bay, I have been a fan of Gina Azzi. Her writing style is so beautiful and her characters so well-realized, I almost come to think of them as real, flesh-and-blood people instead of just fictional characters.

Maura is broken. She's lost her twin brother Adrian in a tragic accident, and has chosen to dull her pain with alcohol and sex with random men. Her three best friends have all left her behind for the semester, and her downward spiral is affecting her in every cEver since Corner of Ocean and Bay, I have been a fan of Gina Azzi. Her writing style is so beautiful and her characters so well-realized, I almost come to think of them as real, flesh-and-blood people instead of just fictional characters.

Maura is broken. She's lost her twin brother Adrian in a tragic accident, and has chosen to dull her pain with alcohol and sex with random men. Her three best friends have all left her behind for the semester, and her downward spiral is affecting her in every conceivable way. Also feeling the effects of Adrian's death is his best friend Zack, whose has the unenviable task of return to college, and his rowing team, without Adrian.

I won't lie, these two people are messed up. But the thing about broken pieces is that they often fit together. You want from the outset for these two broken people to mend, not only themselves but each other. For the third straight time in this series, Ms. Azzi does not disappoint. ...more

All The While is Cataclysmic Beautiful! Wow! I absolutely love this novel. The prologue hit me like a ton of books. Grab your tissue box & get ready for a tear dropping festival. I absolutely love the writing style as to which this novel was written. The passage of time with the chapter names at the start of the book was spectacular. This isn't your cookie cutter romance that fits today's format & genre as it is so much more. This novel is gritty, raw, & leaves you bewildered & cAll The While is Cataclysmic Beautiful! Wow! I absolutely love this novel. The prologue hit me like a ton of books. Grab your tissue box & get ready for a tear dropping festival. I absolutely love the writing style as to which this novel was written. The passage of time with the chapter names at the start of the book was spectacular. This isn't your cookie cutter romance that fits today's format & genre as it is so much more. This novel is gritty, raw, & leaves you bewildered & craving more. Unfortunately, for me this is the first book in this series that I have read & definitely want to read it again in proper order. Maura Rodriguez & Zach Huntington are two broken souls who are reeling from a preventable tragedy. I absolutely recommend reading this novel as it the perfect blend of creativity, angst, sexy moments, sweet times, & wity parts. A set of characters that will capture your heartstrings & have you rooting for them. A must read novel....more

This is Book #3 in the The Senior Semester Series. The prologue was so sad. You definitely need a box of Kleenexes. This was beautifully written with a lot of emotions mixed in. I am enjoying this 4 book series so far. I have read the first 3 books.

Maura and Zack both loved Adrian. Both are lost. Maura is more lost than Zack. Adrian was her twin. I think the best way to get through grieving is to grieve with someone, who feels the same as you do. Maura and Zack have so much in common. They are p

This is Book #3 in the The Senior Semester Series. The prologue was so sad. You definitely need a box of Kleenexes. This was beautifully written with a lot of emotions mixed in. I am enjoying this 4 book series so far. I have read the first 3 books.

Maura and Zack both loved Adrian. Both are lost. Maura is more lost than Zack. Adrian was her twin. I think the best way to get through grieving is to grieve with someone, who feels the same as you do. Maura and Zack have so much in common. They are perfect for one other.

I can not wait to read the last book in this series!

☆☆☆☆☆I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.Recommend this book? Yes! Author? Yes!Read more from this author? Yes!

This one hit a little too close to home, as I'm watching someone I love experience something close to what Maura is going through. It's heartbreaking. Sometimes you need to be alone. Events like this can change you...sometimes for the good and sometimes not. Having someone that is going through the same pain can be a lifeline. That's what Zack did for Maura. He was her light leading her to the end of the tunnel. This was hard to read but it also gave much hope.

Absolutely love this book!! I cried, laughed and loved right along with the characters. I could feel the pain that maura and zack were each going thru losing a brother/best friend. for them to be able to find the support and love they needed in each other really made this book so wonderful.

Maura's twin brother Adrian died from an overdose of pain pills laced with something and Maura has been sinking ever since. She and her friends made a pact to do something fun and outside their comfort zone this semester, and for them it is easy since they all went away and left Maura behind. Maura finds herself getting drunk and having random hook-up with strangers to numb her pain, at the risk of her school, rowing and her well-being. The only bright spot in her life is Zack, Adrian's best friMaura's twin brother Adrian died from an overdose of pain pills laced with something and Maura has been sinking ever since. She and her friends made a pact to do something fun and outside their comfort zone this semester, and for them it is easy since they all went away and left Maura behind. Maura finds herself getting drunk and having random hook-up with strangers to numb her pain, at the risk of her school, rowing and her well-being. The only bright spot in her life is Zack, Adrian's best friend, who is so off limits yet she can't help but want to spend time with him. Can she get through the semester without losing more of herself?

This is the third book in a series, where each book deals with a different friend and what happens to them during the same semester. Technically, they can be read as stand-alone stories, but there are references made to the other girls and the pact they made running through each book, so I suggest that all the books be read to get the complete picture. That being said, I read the first book and was absolutely in love with it so I jumped at the chance to read this book (yes, I have not read book 2, but I want to). I think maybe my expectations were too high since book one could do no wrong (in my humble opinion) but I found this story to be just ok. It was pretty hard for me to read at times, with the way that Maura acted. Full honesty, the girl had no sense of survival or smarts at times. Sure, her spiraling out of control was justified since she had a lot to deal with, but still I wanted her to make good choices (which she didn’t for a long time). This was just as much a healing story as it was a romance, probably more of a learning how to deal with grief than anything else. Romance was just a side effect.

I was really glad to have had the opportunity to read more in the series (and to have a brief moment with Cade and Lila refreshed). Now I definitely need to get my hands on the other two girl’s semester stories. The author has the ability to create emotions and bring to light some hard truths while making realistic characters that you root for. I can’t wait to read more.

Maura Rodriguez and her three best friends are in their senior year at McShain University in Philadelphia. Maura's twin brother Adrian is in his senior year at LaFarge University in Philadelphia. They are both on the rowing teams at their colleges. Adrian has been stealing prescription pills from his best friend Zack because of a sore back. Zack finds out and yells at Arian and tells him that he can't get any more of Zack's pills and he needs to go to a doctor. Adrian goes to his old neighborhooMaura Rodriguez and her three best friends are in their senior year at McShain University in Philadelphia. Maura's twin brother Adrian is in his senior year at LaFarge University in Philadelphia. They are both on the rowing teams at their colleges. Adrian has been stealing prescription pills from his best friend Zack because of a sore back. Zack finds out and yells at Arian and tells him that he can't get any more of Zack's pills and he needs to go to a doctor. Adrian goes to his old neighborhood that is in a bad part of town to his childhood friend Hector who hooks him up with some more drugs. Adrian takes a handful for the pain as he drives away to go back to school. Unfortunately he doesn't make it back to school, gets in a wreck and dies.

Maura does not take his death well. Then her three best friends all go to different cities for a semester and leaves Maura in Philadelphia by herself. Maura is mad and guilty about her brother's death and turns to alcohol and sex to try to forget or at least numb herself. Zack runs into Maura when they are both out on a run. They talk and both are hurting over Adrian's death. Zack tries to be there to help Maura as he blames himself for Adrian's death. You need to read the book to see what happens.

The book was well written, but was a little dark and depressing to begin with. Of course, reading about death and how people handle it can be depressing. The good part was seeing how Zack and Maura helped each other. There were a few other situations going on the Maura's friends and also with Zack. I loved Zack and thought he was a warm, helping and loving guy. Maura just got lost for awhile, but was a strong girl. I really enjoyed how the book ended. I encourage you to read the book. I voluntarily read an Advanced Reader's Copy of the book....more

A beautiful book about two beautifully broken people, torn apart by the same event, yet living very separate lives.

Maura lost her twin brother. I can't imagine a worse feeling than that. She's lost. Her best friends have left for the semester and the only thing that can make her feel anything at all is sex with random - sometimes married - men. Her life is spiraling and it isn't until she forms a friendship with her brother's best friend that she can begin to stop blaming herself and start liviA beautiful book about two beautifully broken people, torn apart by the same event, yet living very separate lives.

Maura lost her twin brother. I can't imagine a worse feeling than that. She's lost. Her best friends have left for the semester and the only thing that can make her feel anything at all is sex with random - sometimes married - men. Her life is spiraling and it isn't until she forms a friendship with her brother's best friend that she can begin to stop blaming herself and start living.

Zack lost his best friend. He's missing him when he's rowing and pretty much doing anything else. It's rough. he tries to find happiness in an old relationship only to realize that going back won't do him any good. He needs to move forward. He just didn't know the one person who could help him with that is the one person who always reminds him of the past.

Can they find happiness together or will they always harbor too many memories of the friend and brother they lost? This story is tragic and hopeful at the same time. It deals with a lot of pain in a very good way. The writing is phenomenal. It's definitely my favorite of the series so far....more

Firstly, it isn't your typical romance novel... it is gritty and raw and leaves your heart in pieces...

Secondly, a person can be in a train wreck of a situation and still find a slice of heaven in their lives.

Thirdly, I love how the author marked the passage of time with the chapter names at the start of the book. I find sometimes the importance of time frames is down played or forgotten in the romance genre.

Maura is dealing wiTragically beautiful.....

I like a lot of things about this book....

Firstly, it isn't your typical romance novel... it is gritty and raw and leaves your heart in pieces...

Secondly, a person can be in a train wreck of a situation and still find a slice of heaven in their lives.

Thirdly, I love how the author marked the passage of time with the chapter names at the start of the book. I find sometimes the importance of time frames is down played or forgotten in the romance genre.

Maura is dealing with the death of her twin brother in a very self destructive way. She is completely unraveled and has lost focus on the things in life that are most important to her.

Zack is her brother's best friend and the loss of Adrian connects them on a deeper level.

Maura's journey has been captured so perfectly that I felt connected to her character, hoping she would find a way through her grief.

Well done Gina Azzi, I laughed, I cried and I cheered for Maura and Zack to find their happiness.

Ever since Corner of Ocean and Bay, I have been a fan of Gina Azzi. Her writing style is so beautiful and her characters so well-realized, I almost come to think of them as real, flesh-and-blood people instead of just fictional characters.

Maura is broken. She's lost her twin brother Adrian in a tragic accident, and has chosen to dull her pain with alcohol and sex with random men. Her three best friends have all left her behind for the semester, and her downward spiral is affecting her in every cEver since Corner of Ocean and Bay, I have been a fan of Gina Azzi. Her writing style is so beautiful and her characters so well-realized, I almost come to think of them as real, flesh-and-blood people instead of just fictional characters.

Maura is broken. She's lost her twin brother Adrian in a tragic accident, and has chosen to dull her pain with alcohol and sex with random men. Her three best friends have all left her behind for the semester, and her downward spiral is affecting her in every conceivable way. Also feeling the effects of Adrian's death is his best friend Zack, whose has the unenviable task of return to college, and his rowing team, without Adrian.

I won't lie, these two people are messed up. But the thing about broken pieces is that they often fit together. You want from the outset for these two broken people to mend, not only themselves but each other. For the third straight time in this series, Ms. Azzi does not disappoint.

This is a book about hurt people that struggle with their present after death of important person in their life.The plot is so Vivid, that i needed to take a break during reading! As i mostly feel what characters feel. So miss Azzi did a great job!Maura - a strong girl that lost her way, after her brother death. She's senior, but all she can do is makeing herself numb. Her own struggling and trauma moments were so well described. (More in tI received this as an ARC which I have voluntarily read.

This is a book about hurt people that struggle with their present after death of important person in their life.The plot is so Vivid, that i needed to take a break during reading! As i mostly feel what characters feel. So miss Azzi did a great job!Maura - a strong girl that lost her way, after her brother death. She's senior, but all she can do is makeing herself numb. Her own struggling and trauma moments were so well described. (More in the book)Zack - a guy that melt each girl heart, but not Maura in first place. What i can tell each of us would love to have someone like that by our sides. He did what guy shoud have done in that pary of girl life.

What i can tell? I loved that book and characters that and not artificial, but also do bad and don't go over it in miraculus way!Romance dane will love it for sure!...more

Maura & Zack lose someone they love...can they come together and deal with their grief?

This was a difficult read for me...it hasn't been that long ago that I lost someone I love...so facing this was hard. I haven't read the other books in this series, but that's ok. The author did a great job incorporating all the characters and it flows nicely. This was a good book and I would recommend it...and I will have to find the others in this series to read.

Hi! I'm Gina and I write realistic, relatable, sweet New Adult and Contemporary Romance books. A NJ native, I have lived and worked abroad before settling in Canada with my husband and Littles. Although I can't iron (at all), I am a passionate reader, frequent globetrotter, and aspiring baker (recipes appreciated!). I love hearing from fellow readers so please connect!

VISIT MY AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE!Hi! I'm Gina and I write realistic, relatable, sweet New Adult and Contemporary Romance books. A NJ native, I have lived and worked abroad before settling in Canada with my husband and Littles. Although I can't iron (at all), I am a passionate reader, frequent globetrotter, and aspiring baker (recipes appreciated!). I love hearing from fellow readers so please connect!